S Club 7 is the biggy of the month; the group is at Elstree studios for rehearsals as we speak, with the tour commencing at the end of this month. This is a major production, set design by Charlie Kail (built by Total Fabrications Ltd) with Pete Barnes designing the lighting rig which will contain Icons, PC Beams, Super Cycs, Studio Colors and 64 trusty Par cans. Out in the audience a huge flown catwalk (flown by Summit Steel, who rig the whole show) also holds Studio Colors along its length.
Status Quo have re-scheduled shows to do this month: Pat Mark’s lighting rig of Pars and Mac 500s will be visiting Oxford and Guildford before month’s end, with further shows in Grimsby, Carlisle, Plymouth, Leicester, Hereford and Port Talbot in February.
Travis commence their long awaited arena tour in February with LD Matt Jensen totally beefing up the show for this shift from the theatre circuit to arenas. I spoke to him on the ski slopes at the foot of the Matterhorn yesterday. "The rig will be similar to that seen before Christmas, only bigger. Willie Williams and video director Adam Buxton are just working up the changes to the live video angle now, and I will be lighting accordingly." Matt was at pains to point out, this is "not lighting design on the piste." The rig will contain MAC 2000s, Studio Colors, lots of 8-Lites with Molemags, all controlled from an Avo Sapphire 2000.
Bryan Adams hits the road again in February with Mac Mosier operating a Willie Williams lighting design from a Hog II. Adams plays the arena circuit this time around, a straight-ahead, no nonsense rock and roll show. Lighting is mainly Studio Colors and Studio Spots.
(Steve Moles)
